The best recruiters become trusted advisers quickly, and stay as trusted advisers. Relationships with clients can change over time, although big billers tend to have fewer, but higher quality clients – where they are well respected and achieve ‘trusted adviser’ status, while never jeaporsiding, nor taking for granted that status either.
How do you achieve this level of relationship. Sure, you’re not just another recruiter right?
It takes time to build trust and demonstrate your skills and values, so here is a checklist.
- Understand where you can add value and understand where you are just being a pest
- Listen to your client, and demonstrate you understand their needs based on your previous achievements
- Send fewer and high quality candidates that fit the bill
- Follow up as promised
- Be a good loser – if a client find a candidate through another source whether that be through their own networks or through another recruiter – congratulate them, and hope the candidate works out.
- Maintain the relationship particularly when the client is not actively hiring, whether that be through email, newsletters, face to face, or other forms of contact. Show you care, and actually care.
Clients respect a recruiter when they:
- Interview candidates based on a recruiters recommendation
- Take advice from a recruiter if their expectations are unrealistic
- Return a recruiter’s calls promptly
- Use a recruiter exclusively
The best measurement of your reputation is to ask your clients the following questions:
- Would the client come back to you again for more assistance? (did they have a positive experience and did you deliver?)
- Would they recommend you to other companies for assistance? (would they refer you to others?)
If the answer is yes to both questions, then you are doing a great job.
Why not try and blow your clients away, provide an amazing service, and keep your clients and candidates coming back? There’s really no other alternative.
I remember the very first cold calls I made when I started this recruitment business. Most of those first calls I made are still clients of ours today, so we must be doing something right.
- Jonathan Weinstock
